REGIONAL MEASURE 3

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS UPDATED: MARCH 1, 2018

1. What is Regional Measure 3?

Regional Measure 3 (RM 3) is a ballot measure on the June 5, 2018 ballot in the nine-county Bay Area. The measure is a plan to build major roadway and public transit improvements via an increase in bridge tolls on all Bay Area toll bridges except the Bridge. RM 3 was authorized by the State Legislature by Senate Bill 595 (authored by Senator Jim Beall of San Jose) and signed into law by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. in 2017.

2. What is the goal of RM 3?

The goal of RM 3 is to reduce traffic congestion and improve transportation options throughout the Area’s state-owned toll bridge corridors.

3. What projects are funded by RM 3?

The measure would build urgently needed transportation improvements, including, but not limited to: new BART cars, the extension of BART to Silicon Valley, new high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Marin and Sonoma, improvements to State Route 37 serving Solano, Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties, more frequent and expanded service, improvements to the /680/State Route 12 interchange, and the extension of Caltrain to downtown San Francisco through an increase in bridge tolls. Click here to review the complete Regional Measure 3 Expenditure Plan and click here for a map of projects.

4. How does RM 3 propose to spend toll funds by project type?

RM 3 Expenditure Plan by Transportation Mode (Capital & Operating Funding over 25 Years)

Transit, 69%

Roads/Highway, 25%

Multimodal, 3%

Bike/Ped., 3%

Note: For this analysis, operating funds were discounted at a 2.2%/year to account for inflation. 5. How much does RM 3 propose to raise tolls?

RM 3 proposes a toll increase of $1 in 2019, $1 in 2022 and $1 in 2025. Subject to voter approval of RM 3, BATA would be allowed to adjust the RM 3 portion of the tolls to account for inflation after the RM 3 toll increase is fully phased in.

6. Which bridges would be affected by the toll rate increase?

Voter approval would affect toll rates on the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges, which include the , the Benicia-Martinez Bridge, the , the Dumbarton Bridge, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. Tolls on the would not be affected as it is owned and operated by an independent district not overseen by BATA.

7. When would the toll rate go into effect?

If approved, tolls would be raised by $1 in January 2019, with subsequent $1 increases in January 2022 and 2025.

8. Would carpools receive a discount?

Carpools currently receive a 50% discount on tolls during carpool hours. This discount would stay in effect post-Regional Measure 3.

9. Would trucks be included?

Yes. Trucks, regardless of the number of axles, would be subject to the same toll increase as passenger vehicles.

10. What is the discount for commuters who use more than one bridge during their commute?

Under RM 3, commuters (including carpoolers) who pay tolls on two bridges during commute hours will receive a 50 percent discount on the RM 3 portion of the toll paid on the second crossing within a one-day period. For example, after tolls are raised by $1 in 2019, a commuter would pay 50-cents on the second trip rather than $1. Toll payers must pay their tolls via FasTrak® to be eligible for this discount and trips on the Golden Gate Bridge do not count towards this discount.

11. How would the RM 3 vote be tallied across counties?

Similar to Regional Measures 1 and 2, approved by Bay Area voters in 1988 and 2004 respectively, the measure would be approved if it receives a majority of support from all voters voting on the measure. Voters in all nine Bay Area counties would consider this measure, unlike Regional Measures 1 and 2 which were voted on by just seven of the nine counties (these measures did not appear on the ballot in the counties of Napa and Sonoma).

12. How much money would be raised by RM 3?

Based on current traffic volumes, each dollar generates approximately $125 million in annual toll revenue. The Regional Measure 3 Expenditure Plan identifies projects that would be funded if voters improve a toll increase of $3 over six years. The annual revenue would be used to finance a $4.5 billion slate of highway and transit capital improvements along with $60 million annually to provide new bus and ferry service in congested bridge corridors and improved regional connectivity at the future Transbay Terminal.

13. What accountability and oversight provisions are included in the measure?

RM 3 includes the following oversight components: 1) A Citizen Oversight Committee Modeled on the approach taken in local county sales tax measures dedicated to transportation, RM 3 requires establishment of an independent oversight committee to ensure spending of all RM 3 revenue is consistent with the Expenditure Plan. County supervisors in each of the nine Bay Area counties would appoint two representatives to this committee. 2) Performance Measures Prior to allocating funds to bus or ferry service, MTC will develop performance measures, such as ridership targets, to help ensure tolls are used cost-effectively and highlight the need for adjustments to be made if service falls short of the desired performance measures. A similar requirement existed for RM 2 and led to changes in service and the elimination of certain routes that did not attract sufficient riders to be cost-effective. 3) Office of BART Inspector General Approval of RM 3 would establish an independent Office of the BART Inspector General to ensure BART uses bridge toll funds and other revenues efficiently and effectively.

14. How much money is generated from bridge tolls today and where do these funds go?

In FY 2016-17, toll revenue generated approximately $720 million. Of this amount, $435 million was for the program and $285 million was for Regional Measures 1 and 2. These funds pay for ongoing transit service along with debt service for the capital projects funded by the Toll Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program, Regional Measures 1 and 2 and bridge maintenance and rehabilitation.

15. How much does each county benefit from the RM 3 expenditure plan?

MTC conducted an analysis of each capital and operating projects in the RM 3 plan and determined the following breakdown by county over a 25-year period.

RM3 Project Benefits by County (Capital and Operating Funds) , 32%

Contra Costa, 18%

Marin, 4%

Napa, 1%

San Francisco, 9%

San Mateo, 8%

Santa Clara, 15%

Solano, 10%

Sonoma, 3%

16. What is the share of bridge trips by county?

Toll Bridge Trips by County of Residence, FY 2016-17

Alameda, 29%

Contra Costa, 19%

Marin, 4%

Napa, 2%

San Francisco, 10%

San Mateo, 8%

Santa Clara, 2%

Solano, 14%

Sonoma, 2%

Outside Bay Area, 11%

Source: Based on FY 2016-17 FasTrak® data

17. What is the share of total vehicle trips by bridge?

Vehicle Trips by Bridge, FY 2016-17

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, 34% Benicia-Martinez Bridge, 15% Carquinez Bridge, 16% San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, 14% Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, 10% Dumbarton Bridge, 8% Antioch Bridge, 2%

18. When were the tolls last raised and by how much?

The table below provides a breakdown of the current $5 base toll rate for passenger vehicles.

Toll Increase Amount Regional Measure 1 (1989*) $1 (standardized all tolls at $1) Seismic Surcharge (1998) $1

Regional Measure 2 (2004) $1

Seismic Surcharge (2007) $1

Antioch/Dumbarton Seismic Surcharge (2010) $1

Total Auto Toll (2018)** $5

* Regional Measure 1 was approved in 1988, but the toll increase went into effect on January 1, 1989. ** The current toll on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is $6 during commute hours, $4 during off-peak weekday hours and $5 during weekends.

19. What are Regional Measure 1 and Regional Measure 2?

Regional Measure 1 – approved by Bay Area voters in 1988 – established a uniform $1 base toll on the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. The toll increase ranged from 25 cents to 60 cents at six Bay Area toll bridges – tolls at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, already $1, were unchanged by the measure. BATA used the increased revenues to issue bonds that financed major bridge and highway projects throughout the region.

Voters in 2004 approved Regional Measure 2, raising the toll on the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges by $1. The measure established a Regional Traffic Relief Plan to finance highway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects in the bridge corridors and their approaches, and to provide operating funds for key transit services. See the chart below for a list of major capital projects financed through these measures.

Major RM 1 and RM 2 Projects Regional Funds Measure (Dollars in Millions) New Benicia Bridge 1 $1,200

Carquinez Bridge Replacement 1 $518

Transbay Transit Center* 2 $353

BART to Warm Springs* 2 $304

e-BART/Highway 4 Widening 2 $269

New I-880/92 Interchange 1 $235

San Mateo-Hayward Bridge Widening 1 $210 Major RM 1 and RM 2 Projects Regional Funds (cont’d) Measure (Dollars in Millions) Oakland Airport Connector* 2 $146

I-80 HOV Lanes/Truck Scales* 2 $123

Richmond-San Rafael Trestle and Deck 1 $117

SMART Rail Extension 2 $82 AC Transit Rapid Bus 2 $78 Transit Center Upgrades and New Buses 2 $65

Regional Ferry Vessels 2 $46 Bayfront Expressway Widening 1 $36 BART Tube Seismic Retrofit 2 $34

Note: Not a comprehensive list of expenditure plans. Projects marked with an asterisk have received additional toll revenues in addition to Regional Measure 2.

20. What were the vote results for Regional Measures 1 and 2?

See below for the vote results for Regional Measures 1 and 2 by county. Note that these measures were on the ballot in seven of the nine Bay Area counties. SB 595 would authorize BATA to place a toll increase on the ballot in all nine Bay Area counties.

Regional Measure 1 Regional Measure 2 (1998) (2004) Yes No Yes No Alameda 71% 29% 56% 44% Contra Costa 68% 32% 51% 49% Marin 76% 24% 64% 36% San Francisco 69% 31% 69% 31%

San Mateo 74% 26% 55% 45%

Santa Clara 71% 29% 60% 40% Solano 58% 42% 41% 59% Total 70% 30% 57% 43%

21. How do Bay Area bridge toll rates compare to other major bridges, tunnels and toll roads?

See the chart below for toll rate comparisons:

Facility Standard Auto Toll

BATA Bridges $5.00 ($6 during M-F peak on Bay Bridge) Golden Gate Bridge $7.75/$6.75 (Plate/FasTrak) MTA Verrazano Narrows Bridge $11.52/$17.00 (EZ-Pass/Cash) Port Authority of New York/New Jersey $10.50/$12.50/$15.00 (Bridges and Tunnels) Off-Peak/Peak/Cash